Expanding our intelligence without limit
March 8, 2012
Ray Kurzweil will join TIME Magazine writer Lev Grossman for a “mind-expanding keynote conversation about our future” at SXSW in Austin on Monday, March 12. 2 PM — 3 PM (Convention Center, Exhibit Hall 5).
Grossman wrote the Time cover story “2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal,” on the Singularity and Ray Kurzweil’s “radical vision for humanity’s immortal future.”
Kurzweil and Grossman will discuss current hot issues such as Watson, Siri, Google driverless cars, and other AI examples, says Kurzweil “We will also talk about my upcoming Mind book and I will mention my thesis of a pattern recognition module that is repeated (on the order of) 300 million times and self-organizes its connections in an elaborate hierarchy that covers all of our ideas, skills, and memories.”
A live broadcast of the session is also planned to other locations at SXSW.
The South by Southwest (SXSW) Conferences & Festivals offer unique convergence of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies. The tracks for SXSW 2012 are: Interactive: March 9–13; film: March 9–17; and Music: March 13–18.
Comments (9)
by William Hertling
I took detailed notes of Ray Kurzweil’s talk at SXSW, which are posted here: http://www.williamhertling.com/2012/03/ray-kurzweil-keynote-expanding-our.html
Thanks,
Willl
by Editor
Thanks, Will. I plan to read your very relevant science-fiction novels. – Amara
by NakedApe
The death of an intelligent, educated and good human being is a tragedy. It may well grease the wheels of evolutionary change but humans have been tinkering with evolutionary machinery for quite a while. Why stop now? Immortality has been our dream since the first glimmer of consciousness and self-awareness. There is no law in the Universe that says that some apes on the planet Earth cannot extend their lifespans indefinitely. The only thing I worry about are the ecological consequences to our planet. Also, the thought of really stupid, ignorant and evil people surviving for millennia is rather frightening. Yes, I am talking about all those religious nut jobs who spout superstitious nonsense and expect everyone to kiss their stupid ass or they will kill you. Too bad such dumbasses exist.
by Delta prime
Nathan Hale died at 21 years old and yet Nathan Hale is imortal.
by P.Rick
What is wrong with people who want to or accept DEATH?? It has NOTHING to do with ego. When someone dies and I hear “they are in a better place” I want to scream. How death a better place? How is life NOT the best thing ever….How do you not want to live forever. h+ 4ever
by RobinSongs
“Get over it, your ego really doesn’t matter”
And yours does?
by Peter Simmons
Ray is misguided. 2045 could be the year humans go extinct, but certianly not immortal, what a bizarre thought. Accept you are part of the biosphere; the organic matter that is part of the planet in which everything living grows. We live then we die going back into that matter to nourish new life. YOU will not live forever, YOU will not go to heaven, YOU will disappear just like every other living thing, plant or animal, that has ever existed. Get over it, your ego really doesn’t matter, and whether you can handle the knowledge of your own mortality is irrelevent. This confused thinking is what all religions are based on, hope of inadequate egos which can’t accept fate. I thought science was about facts, but there’s none in this bit of solipsism.
by Michael Ulis
I like to think that the year 1920 was the most momentous in human history. It passed unnoticed but it was the first year that the chance of eventually dying dropped below 100%. Every year it goes down a little more. Thank you Ray Kurzweil for opening my mind to the future.
by egore
Yay for Ray, Yay for Ray!! Oops, I already said that.